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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · leaves · scale · ruler · band · patient · clip · stand

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. clip — a video
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stand — to bear
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com